If you are like most of us you may have hung your outdoor Christmas decorations over Thanksgiving weekend. Or maybe you didn’t. Maybe you put it off until now because you didn’t want to deal with the ladder, the weather and untangling the mess of lights from last year.  There is no time like the present to overcome all of those obstacles and get the outside of your home looking perfect for the season.

Gather all the items you will need to begin your outdoor lighting project. The ladder, extension cords, timers, clips, hooks and clamps, power stakes, work gloves and a few basic tools like a hammer, a screwdriver and some pliers. It’s also a great idea to measure everything you want to adorn with lights. Also measure the distance to each power source. It’s a pain, but so worth it.

Decide where you want to hang your lights. Some of the most popular spots to hang lights are on the eaves of your home, or along your roofline. Atop bushes, hedges and trees. On pillars, posts and railings. Around windows and doorframes. Near driveways and pathways.

Unwrap all lights and untangle cords. Swear to yourself that this year you will put them away neatly. Test each light strand before you hang it. Replace burned out or missing bulbs. Toss any light strand with fraying cords. Hang your lights during the day as climbing a ladder in the dark is not very safe. If you can, bribe someone to be your partner. Hanging lights goes much faster with a buddy.

The rule of thumb for how many lights you need is 100 lights for every foot and a half that you want to cover. A 6-foot tree would therefore need 400 lights for the basic lighting. If you want to get a little more ‘blingy” you can double or even triple the amount of lights you use.

Should you need to purchase additional lights for you project make sure you pick outdoor lights, as indoor lights are not meant for the elements. If you can spring for LED lights you should. LEDs are more costly to purchase, but they’ll save you money in the long run. They’re 90% more energy-efficient and last thousands of hours longer than comparable incandescent bulbs. Icicle lights are great for rooflines and eaves. Net and blanket lights make it easy to cover bushes and shrubs.

Start high and work your way down. For safety reasons never connect more than three light strands together. After you’ve hung your third strand go back to your power source for your next set of lights.  Use clips to attach lights whenever possible. Please don’t hammer or staple through cords as this can cause damage to the light strand.

And viola – you are no longer the only Grinch on the block without Christmas lights. Take your buddy out for a beer and breath of relief that your holiday decorating project is done.

This photo shows how well light wood flooring looks against the rich variety of colors provided by the holiday tree. If you have darker wood floors, you get to look forward to the reflection of the trees lights in the glossy finish, adding to the charm of the room

But today we’re focusing on the cake in the foreground, to help you ensure that your holiday entertainment features desserts that are dressed for the season.

There are those people who bake their own cookies and cakes from scratch and pull out icing bags to decorate them in festive ways. But if you’re not one of those people, you can still create an appealing holiday look with your desserts.

This cake involves a couple of small artificial trees, some star twist in silver – available where gift wrap is sold – and three simply-decorated holiday cookies. The process is simple and fast but the result has pizazz.

Another option is to decorate the plate and leave the treats alone. Take a look at these cookies. They are simple iced sugar cookies and shortbread, but adding a sprig of holly turns them into holiday treats. You could also use pine or other holiday greenery – not miseltoe though – the berries are poisonous.

Here’s another cake that benefits from some holiday touches. Instead of inedible decorations, this cake has fresh raspberries and mint to mimic holly and berries. A bit of gold wire running around the cake matches the gold rim of the plate. The biggest advantage to these choices comes from taste. Both raspberries and mint complement the taste of chocolate, so you have decorations that also add to the flavor of the dessert. With little effort, these options make your desserts reflect the holidays.

You offered and everyone accepted. You’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  Stop with the blood curdling screams. You’re not worried about the dinner; you’re worried about your dining room. Here are a few simple tips to update and restyle your home. Follow our directions and your guests will be calling you Martha.

Have a personal focal point. Your home is YOUR home. Display artwork that you love.

Paint your walls. This is the perfect time to update your color palette. Have you dreamed of a bold color accent wall? This is the time to go for it – or add some wallpaper. Wallpaper is an elegant way to change any room.

Lighting! Even if you don’t replace your light fixtures (which you could totally do!) you can also go an easier route and replace lampshades. Or skip electric lighting altogether and buy dozens of candles to light the room.

Remember your fifth wall – the ceiling. Paint the ceiling the same color as your walls, or paint it a contrasting color. Pay an artist to paint a mural or add decals to add another dimension to your room.

Seating – Add slipcovers to your dining room chairs. This is an economical way to change the feel of your dining room for each season of the year. Don’t feel like new slipcovers? Decorate chair backs with garland or ribbon. Add new and decorative throw pillows on your sofas and armchairs. Tapestry, hound’s-tooth and plaid are all good options.

Replace your area rugs. Pick rugs that are warm and rich in color. Remember that area rugs can be used to define a room or separate a space.

Don’t forget your powder room. Plush towels in seasonal colors and scented soaps are nice. Or go big and hang a chandelier, paint the ceiling gold or add a velvet curtain.

Our designers are full of great holiday decorating ideas. Just ask!

Do you want to plan something special for Valentine’s Day or any important anniversary or event? With the help of some of your area rugs, why don’t you create a romantic indoor picnic?

Start by walking through your house and choosing a cozy spot to position your picnic. You can choose a place in front of a fireplace, in the corner of your living room, in the center of a bay window, or anywhere with the space to handle your plans. It doesn’t matter what type of flooring you have, because you use area rugs to build your romantic spot.

You can just use one rug or as many as three. Pile them up at different angles to create the feeling of an inviting cushiony area. Add lots of pillows – pulled from sofas or chairs even to keep the space comfy. Then position a simple tablecloth in the middle to hold the food.

Fresh flowers and candles contribute to the mood. To keep your space fire-safe, consider using the new electric LED candles such as the votives in this photo. Pick favorite foods and think about finger foods to make serving and eating easy. For a final touch, break apart a flower and sprinkle the petals around the area.

Now, dim the lights and welcome your sweetie to an evening of romance!

Are you someone who makes resolutions every year? Many people do – lose that extra 20 pounds, exercise regularly, keep your temper when the dog makes you crazy. But while you’re making personal ones, how about adding in a few to make your home safer for you and your family?

Here are a few ideas that can make a difference.

Read Safety Instructions: Every product manufacturer provides safety instructions to go with installation or use manuals. Take the time to read them. You may find that some of your assumptions of safety measures are misguided or outdated.

Bath Safety: Consider installing safety bars in your showers or baths. For children, older people, or anyone at any age, the bars can help avoid accidents on wet slippery floors. Make sure they are drilled into the studs, so that they stay where they’re supposed to when you use them.

Fire Safety: It’s tempting to burn those after holiday stacks of boxes and gift wrap in the fireplace, but sparks and an overheated fire can create real safety problems. Stick with standard fireplace fare and put boxes in recycling instead.

DIY Safety: When working with tools, always use safety glasses. Make sure your tool box also includes a first-aid kit, work gloves and ear protection gear. Depending on the project, you may also need a dust mask or respirator. Read instructions and plan for safety when you plan to do it yourself.

When you’re making your resolutions, include one or more designed to keep your home and family safe and secure. And have a happy 2011!

Are you ready to wrap up the holiday season? The following tips will help you start the next year right, and prepare you for the next holiday.

Check the lights: Both your indoor and outdoor lights are designed for limited life. Check your lights for frayed wires, cracked sockets, or burned out bulbs. Discard the doubtful strings, and use the original packaging or purchased light holders to keep them from tangling before packing them away. You may want to consider buying replacements at after-holiday sales. The new LED lights have beautiful colors and are much more energy efficient.

Plan your post-holiday pack up: Are your ornaments packed safely? Are your holiday candles protected from the summer’s heat? Also, pack backwards based on how you want to unpack your decorations next year, and label the boxes. Now is the time to discard any decorations that you no longer want, so you don’t waste storage space.

Read installation and safety instructions: Did you receive any exciting electronic or other gifts that have installation or use instructions? Take the time to read the safety information, and make sure you follow installation directions closely. Set any electronic equipment up immediately – you generally only have about two weeks to return them directly to the store if there is a problem.

Don’t take a chance on that HDTV: If you want to wall-mount a television, hire a professional or purchase a special mounting system and follow the instructions carefully.

Keep the rest of your holidays happy by taking care of the details and keeping your home and family safe, and have a wonderful 2011!

Does your home showcase your love of color? If so, you may be concerned that slapping holiday elements on top of your already bright home space may make everything overwhelming. Don’t worry; a few adjustments will enable you to blend your current color scheme into your holiday design plans.

Do you have carpeting in a non-holiday color such as orange or blue? Bring in metallics and holiday neutrals to complement your look. Silver and blue make a beautiful combination, and orange goes well with gold.

As this photo shows, even unusual choices such as pink and purple can fit in with traditional holiday colors. Adding some pink and purple elements on the tree and elsewhere in the room help this table’s colors connect with the space. The tablecloth in the photo is actually just a length of cloth hemmed on the cut edges. You can make temporary pillow covers with some of the same fabric. Cut it in large squares – about twice the length of the longest side of the pillow. Place the fabric on a table on a diagonal, and put the pillow in the center. Tie opposite corners around the pillow and turn it so the knots are in the back. You have effectively covered your pillow in your key holiday tone with a minimum of effort on your part.

Above all, remember that it’s a festive time, and color brightens people’s mood, particularly in the middle of winter. Take some chances and make your home a colorful place for the holidays.

Are you ready to decorate for the holidays? If you want to have your home feel designed as well as decorated, a few steps can help you reach your goal.

Adding decorations requires completely re-thinking your space. Do you have a tree that crowds the room? Consider what you can remove to make space for what is actually another piece of furniture for the duration of the holidays. You may even want to rearrange the room to allow the tree to be a focal point.

The same approach of removing before adding applies to accessories. Take as many of your everyday accessories out of the space as possible. If storage is limited, you may want to temporarily pack them in your holiday storage boxes. Decorations tend to be vivid and sparkling. Too many other items in the space can make it feel cluttered and overwhelming.

When you decorate your space, don’t feel obligated to throw holiday at every spot in the room. Instead, build tableaus using your decorations combined with natural elements such as holly and pine boughs. Do you have a collection of snow globes? Instead of scattering them, group them together to create an appealing display. Add a few shiny round ornaments or some tinsel, and you have an inviting holiday element.

Finally, find consistent elements to pull your holiday decorations together. Maybe you can pick up several bunches of two-color holly at a florist and use that to connect your holiday décor. Possibly staying with a few colors or a style will help your decorations feel like they are planned rather than random. Don’t be afraid to use contrast to make things interesting. Take a look at how the photo combines rustic natural elements with classic white and gold decorations – that took courage but it works.

Remember, you get to start over every year – experiment and have fun, and your home will be an inviting place for you and all of your holiday guests.

Christmas is the most inspiring time of year to decorate. Almost everyone looks forward to it! This year stamp your unique seal on your home for Christmas! Your seasonal decorations represent you and your family. Read along for ideas.

Customize stockings by writing family member’s names with iron on letters. Mix fun items from around the house in garland (picture frames, pottery, crystal items) above the hearth. If you have power available, weave in white lights.  Use your entertainment center as your mantel if you don’t have one.

Don’t have space for a real Christmas tree? Mini trees covered in lights give the same effect as a big tree. White lights accent any style and color with grace and brilliance. Use several of theses minis if you have the room. A tree on both sides of the front door; immediately puts you in the spirit, each time you come home. Counter appropriate mini trees and extra small decorations are available. There could be one in each room of the house!

Greenery such as garland dresses up the everyday banister, doorframe and windowsill. Interlace curly vine like materials. These can be found in any craft section. Adding glitter to colorful faux leaves fit right in with garland and vines. Stick to one color of glitter like gold or silver. Add glitter to other foliage, such as vines and berries.

Basically you can decorate anything you want. All you need is garland, white lights, cheerful ribbons, colored ornaments and candles. Don’t forget candles, especially ones that smell like gingerbread, evergreen, peppermint and any other seasonal smell. Only light one type of fragrance at a time. Light other unscented; the soft glow and seasonal smell will really set the tone for Christmas spirit!

Is Thanksgiving fun for you or a source of stress and frustration? Planning ahead makes a difference when facing a major holiday. These ideas will help you have a nice time without wearing yourself out.

Most people are good about planning the Thanksgiving food, but there’s more to a holiday meal than that. How many people are coming? Do you have chairs, table settings and linens for everyone? How about serving dishes and bowls? What about making the table and/or buffet look inviting? To make your life easier, plan and set the table and buffet up this weekend. That way if something needs to be washed or polished or ironed, you have plenty of time.

With that much eating going on, Thanksgiving invariably involves one or more spills. Do you have flooring in your dining room such as a rug or carpet, or even wood floors, that should be immediately cleaned? Plan ahead for this with the cleaners of your choice and a selection of white work towels at hand. Spills can then be handled quickly and gracefully, minimizing any embarassment for the guest.

Your final step is creating a plan for the Thanksgiving meal. Gather your recipes and create a shopping list. Don’t wait for the mad dash on Wednesday – get it done early next week. Make a plan for cooking everything – taking into consideration any oven or stovetop limits. Work your timing backwards from the planned dinner schedule, adding an extra half-hour or so for unforseen events. Cook anything you can ahead of time, leaving you only the last minute foods to prepare.

With these upfront steps, you can have a lovely holiday without the stress that last-minute problems bring. This will give you time to enjoy the day with your family and friends.